Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to the field of electronic acoustic devices and more specifically, toward an apparatus and related method for the detection and notification of acoustic and/or visual environmental warning signals.
Background
Rapid development in noise cancellation and soundproofing techniques has promoted an increase use of headphones, earphones and headsets with noise cancellation capabilities. Due to these devices having the ability to reduce the level of districting ambient, background noise, these types of headphone and headsets have become especially popular with people listening to music, such as runners or cyclists, as well as construction workers, factory workers, and airport/airplane workers and passengers. These devices, however, have an inherit disadvantage, namely, the user is subjected to a considerable reduction of awareness towards acoustic warning signals, such as fire and police sirens and warning alarms, in conjunction with airports/airplanes and construction sites. This disadvantage can cause an increase in the possibility of life threatening accidents.
In the prior art, there have been attempts to detect warning sounds such as sirens. One example may include an electronic system with a plurality of electronic active filters and a controlling logic for reliably detecting siren sounds in the noisy street environment. Another example may include a siren detector system with a transducer, pre-amplifier, analog-to-digital converter, limiter-discriminator, plurality of selection filters and a preempt detection logic which produces a preempt output signal for traffic light control systems if the input signal meets the selection criteria in terms of sound level and frequency. Another example may include a method and apparatus for detecting siren sounds in order to control traffic lights at intersections or to warn drivers of an approaching emergency vehicle. Another method may include a personal alerting device that can detect a predetermined pattern of sounds and send an alert signal to an output device.
However these examples of acoustic warning devices are disadvantageous because they have complex components with high power and processing requirements and only detect “warning” sounds but do not notify a user of the warning after detection. The prevalence of portable music players accompanied with high quality noise cancellation headphones requires a simple simpler warning detection system.
Thus, there is a need for an improved warning device and method.